Boulevard of Broken Dreams
by vratsababe
Summary: While playing Quidditch with his son, Lucius realizes he could have been something more than he became.


Because we all know we have regrets, had regrets, and will have regrets.

* * *

"Very nice job, Draco," Lucius applauded as Draco tossed the quaffle through one of the hoops of their personal Quidditch pitch. "You would have made an excellent chaser. I don't know why you took the seeker route."

"Because it's much easier to show Potter up that way, father," Draco swung around the hoops, quaffle in hand once again. "He'd never even flown before he came to school. They just let him on the team because he's famous."

"Well, you have genuine talent, son," Lucius commented. "That Potter kid just has a scar that entitles him to all the privilege in the world."

"Lucius, are you putting ideas in our son's head again?" Narcissa called from the ground. She approached with her arms akimbo and a smile on her face. "If he gets into any more trouble at school he's going to be in very big trouble. You're making it sound like it's okay to go around boasting."

"I didn't acknowledge anything of the sort, sweetest," Lucius lazily caught the quaffle that Draco tossed at his father's turned profile. "But you can't have come outside just to chastise me."

"It's almost five-thirty, that's why I'm here," She tossed her blonde hair back behind her shoulders. "Dinner is at six and I don't want the two of you all sweaty and disgusting at the table. We're not the Weasleys, darling."

Lucius chuckled and tossed the ball back to his son, "We'll be inside in five minutes, Cissa. Je promesse." Lucius sped off across the pitch with Draco once again, leaving Narcissa to mutter to herself as she walked back to the house.

Lucius and Draco put their brooms back in the equipment house and started back to the house nearly fifteen minutes. The two of them were covered in dirt and grass stains from attempting feints. Lucius looked up at the back veranda for a sign of his angered wife, but didn't see her. He let out a sigh of relief and looked at his son, "Your mother discourages the idea, as you know, but I truly believe you have all the makings of being a professional Quidditch player one day."

"You really think so?" Draco looked back at his father with excitement in his young eyes. Lucius nodded in all seriousness, "Yes I do. I don't think I ever told you, but I almost signed to the Wimbourne Wasps shortly before you were born."

"Are you serious?" The tween was shocked by his father's declaration.

"What, do you think I am on a lying kick tonight?" Lucius laughed. "I was going to be their reserve chaser for the winter season and begin play in the spring. I almost took it."

"Wow," Draco looked at his father in awe. "Why didn't you take it? I would have!"

"I had other things on my plate at the time," Lucius answered. "I was going to become a father very soon and… and it was my duty first and foremost to be a husband and father before a Quidditch player. I couldn't imagine being away from you and your mother for that long at a time." This was mostly true. Being a father was something that was a high priority at the time, as was being a husband to his wife of four years… but his dedication to the Dark Lord was the number one thing that kept him from his youth dream of being a professional Quidditch star. Every time he thought of the decision he had made to become a Death Eater he felt a pang of regret: regret for the chance he had the obligation to decline, regret for the "could-have-beens"… and regret for the fact that his son one day might figure out what he used to be.

Hopefully that day would never come.

"I suppose I should be happy, then," Draco said. "You couldn't have very well taught me to fly if you were in Tibet every other weekend, right?"

"Right, son," Lucius clapped Draco on the back. "Just find what you want to do and stick to it, okay?"

"Okay."

"And don't let anyone say you can't do something."

"What about Mom?"

" Well… listen to your mother."

"And what about you?"

Lucius rolled his eyes, "What I meant was not that you should be disobedient to your parents or your teachers or whatnot. I meant that if you want to succeed at something then don't let anyone get in your way."

"Righty then," Draco ran up the stairs to the veranda and ran inside where he met the scolding of his mother when he entered. (" I Five minutes /I ! Ha!)

Lucius delayed his reprimanding by his wife for just a moment in which he pulled up his sleeve to see where his Dark Mark used to show brilliantly before sighing and entering the manor.

* * *

Si tu m'aime, ou si tu aime Lucius... donnes-moi un review!


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